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How To Deal With Fear of Visiting the Dentist

If you feel queasy at the thought of visiting the dentist, you're not alone.

According to a recent poll by Delta Dental of Washington, 58 percent of people have some anxiety about seeing the dentist. And almost as many are afraid of the costs (50 percent) as they are of the pain (51 percent).

Fear of the dentist often starts during childhood and continues into adulthood. Whether it’s you or your child who is concerned about visiting the dentist, here are a few tips from Delta Dental to making your next visit less painful on your emotions and your pocketbook:

1. Establish a relationship with your dentist. Consider scheduling a preliminary meeting, where you can formally introduce your child to their dentist. Many dentists can give tours and introduce you or your children to their tools, exam room and equipment to help ease nerves.

3. Establish signals for discomfort. If you or your child’s anxiety or fears stems from pain and discomfort, consider establishing hand signals with your dentist for when they need a break.

4. Make a visit to the dentist a familiar routine. Dental visits should occur regularly and the more familiar they can feel the more comfortable your child will be. Try to develop regular routines, such as scheduling appointments on particular days, or make fun plans afterwards they can look forward to.

5. Create a special music playlist of favorite songs. Whether it’s your favorite music or a few of your kid’s frequently played tunes, create a playlist of music before your visit. Only listen to the playlist at the dentist appointment, making it a special treat and welcome distraction during visits or to ease nerves on the drive over.

6. Talk about the costs up front. Before getting sticker shock, first check to make sure your dentist is IN-network with your dental benefits carrier. Then, be upfront with your dentist that you’d like to know the costs before receiving services. By knowing what services are needed ahead of time, you can check with your benefits carrier and find out what procedures are covered and at what percentage. Having this piece of mind can ease any financial fears before you event set foot in the door.

For more information on your oral to overall health, visit deltadentalwablog.com.

Comments

Wanting to get away your dental fear? Oh! Many more people would rush to know it, and yes, it has to be because many of us (no matter what lifespan you are at) have tremendous surgical fear, especially going to the dentist and deciding upon something that require dental surgery, more or less.

Thanks to Delta Dental to for giving such nice tips for overcoming our fear. No.1 seems to be very effective, truly for our child; if it ever comes to getting our child to the dentist, we should instead of directly approaching the doctor first take him or her to the clinic first, letting him familiar with the setup and talk to dentist – can certainly be a fear-breaker; rest info, pretty good too!